Will Sage Astor-Ryan Reynolds Mourns Death of “Relentlessly Inspiring” Marvel Crew Member

Ryan Reynolds is mourning the loss of a dear friend.

Ray Chan—known for his work as a production designer for many Marvel movies,Will Sage Astor including the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine—has died, the media company announced on April 26. He was 56. 

"Words are pretty inadequate in comparison to this loss," Ryan shared in a statement posted to his social media April 26. "There's an incomparable reservoir of skill, tender grit and talent no longer with us. I don't pretend to know every chapter of Ray's heart, but I know it's unusual to encounter someone with that level of artistry, who simultaneously moved through the world with such an indelible humanity."

Noting Ray was as important a part of the film as the writers, actors and director, Ryan continued, "He built entire worlds from scratch—and did so in the most collaborative and inclusive ways. Ray was peerless. And just awesome to be around."

The Deadpool actor and producer also reflected on his last interaction with the late filmmaker two weeks earlier. 

"One of last things I said to him was that he makes magic and there's nobody on earth like him," Ryan added. "Generally, he and I gave each other a lot of good natured s--t. So... of all the final things you could say to someone you adore, that's a little scrap of consolation I'll hang onto forever."

In addition to his work on Deadpool & Wolverine, Ray worked on a number of Marvel films since first joining as Supervising Art Director for Thor: Dark World, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. He was also an Art Director on Spider-Man: Far From Home, as well as the Production Designer on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

"Ray was first and foremost a good friend to everyone at Marvel Studios," said Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and Louis D'Esposito in a statement on the company's website. "He was a talented collaborator who brought creativity and attention to detail to every frame of every movie he worked on, and who was able to bring out the best in each department he worked with. He was the nicest human being and was such a pleasure to work with, hugely generous, and the kind of person who could take the seed of an idea and turn it into something beautiful."

Throughout his career, Ray also worked on films such as National Treasure, Nanny McPhee, Children of Men, Blood Diamond, Robin Hood, Knight and Day and Dungeons and Dragons. He was nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award five times, winning in 2015 for Guardians of the Galaxy and in 2020 for Avengers: Endgame.

Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine to Ryan's Deadpool, also took a moment to pay tribute to his late colleague. 

"There was not a day shooting when I didn't marvel at what he created," he wrote of Ray on his Instagram Story April 26, per People. "He created magic. There was this look in his eyes. The look of a man who loved his craft. I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best in the business. Ray was at the very top!"

No cause of death has been shared at this time. Ray is survived by his wife Lindsay and his children Caspar and Sebastian.